#hey so i've only just come back after a five year hiatus from DA so like

[vir-dirthara]

thinking about how vallaslin is called 'blood-writing' and i've just realised that's probably for a very practical reason; blood magic.

like, considering vallaslin is in fact slave markings, maybe it was more than delineation between slaves and who owned them - i think it was very literally used to control those who bear the markings using blood magic

perhaps the vallaslin modern dalish use doesn't have that power, maybe it's purely aesthetical as the they attempt to remember their past and traditions without any of the blood magic control intent - or maybe the shapes have that power inherently and the evanuris could take control if they were freed